Fence machine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sn F. M. GOlVISTOGK.v

EENGE MACHINE.

'75. Patented Aug. 26, 18

fz INVEN TOR:

ATTORNEYS.

N. PETERS, rhom-Lilhegr'apur. wnhingmm D. c.

BY .Emmi

eet 2.

` FFCEQ Armi-r FRANCIS M. OOMSTOOK, OF KEOKUK, IOWA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO GEORGE Q.. ADAMS, OF SAME PLACE.

FENCE-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 304,175, dated August 26, 1884.

Application tiled February 19, 1884.

To aZZ whom t may concern,.-

, Be it known that I, FRANoIs M. CoMs'rocK, of Keokuk, in the county of Lee and State of Iowa, have :invented a new and Improved Fence-Machine, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention consists of improvements in mechanism for corrugating wires and weaving them together with pickets of wood or iron for IO making fencing, consisting of wire stringers and pickets, whereof the4 said stringers consist of one corrugated wire having suitable bends or indentations at intervals along'the same, in which the pickets are arranged and I5 bound fast by a binding-wire twisted around the corrugated wires between the pickets and stretched across the pickets on the side opposite to the corrugated wire, the same being a simple, cheap, and substantial fence, that may 2O be rolled up in rolls of several rods in length as it is delivered from the machine, in convenient form for transporting to the place for use, and stretching the same along the posts whereon the fencing is to be set up for use, all as hereinafter fully described.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this speciiication, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a plan view of my improved fence machine. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, with the feeding-box for the pickets in section and the reeling device broken out. Fig. 8 is an end elevation of the machine. Fig. 4 is a transverse section. Fig. 5 is a transversesection of the feed mechanism for supplying the pickets to the wires on the line ti/Sjij of Figs. 1 and 2. Fig.. 6 is a detail of the picket-feed mechanism in side elevation. tail of the corrugating apparatus in plan View.

Fig. 8 is an end elevation of the twisting device. Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the device for beating up the pickets into the shed7 of the wires. Fig. l0 is a detail of the said beating-up apparatus in plan view.v Fig. ll is a front elevation of the head of one ot' the beating-up arms. Fig. l2 is a sectional view on the line 8 3 of Fig. 3, parts being broken away. Fig. 13 is an enlarged detailed view 5o of portions of the wire-bending rolls, showing Fig. 7 is a de- (No model.)

more fully the contours or outlines of their peripheries.

For as many wire stringers as the fence is to contain I arrange as many pairs of corru gatingrolls, a b, guide-tubes c, twisting-heads d, and wirereels e in a series on the top of a suitable frame or bench, j", for corrugating the wires g and weaving them together with pickets 7L by the binding-wires i, thus making webs of any desired length, and delivering them upon reels 6o k, and winding them up in rolls for convenience in handling them. Previous, however, to the commencement of the aforesaid operation, the wires g are passed, unbent, between the rolls a b-the latter having been adjusted so as to prevent them acting upon the wiresto the reel, and connect-ed to one of the reel peripheral bars. So soon as the rst bend of each wire g during the bending Operation emerges from the end of the tube the binding- 7o wires z' are fastened to said bend by hand, the feeding of the wires g having been arrested sufficiently long to permit ot' said uniting of l wires g z', and the slack having been taken up by the action of the reel.

The corrugating-rolls consist of a disk, a, having notches Z in the periphery, and the disk b, having corresponding teeth, m, to mesh in the notches and bend the wires, as shown, said rolls being arranged to run together be- 8o tween the flanges n, and adapted to corrugate the wires g, passing between them, and prevented'from escaping by th'e flanges n. The spaces o between the notches Z and teeth m are pitched according to the width of the pickets It, which are to be placed in the corresponding spaces of the wires g, between the corrugations p, and the spaces q are pitched according to the required distance between the pickets. I find in practice that it is necessary, 9o in order to bend the wire g at the angles s so that the general line ofthe wire will be straight, to flatten the periphery of the notched roll a a little between the notches, instead of curving it to the true circle, and to construct the corresponding portions of the toothed roll b between its projections m m more convex than the periphery of the circle of the roll which overbends the angles s, so that the wires come straight by the reaction which takes place afroo ter the action of the rolls. These corrugatingrolls are mounted on shafts t u, that are supported in bearings of the crotched arms c, that are pivoted on a stationary shaft, w, so that said rolls may be swung down readily wheneverthe empty reels e are to be removed and replaced by full ones, to enable the supporting-brackets w to be removed by pulling olf from the tubes c and y, to allowT said reels to be pulled off and slipped on said tubes g/,said brackets being suitably disconnected by their fastening-bolts. Any suitable means for hold- .ing said supporting-arms fv up in position,

which it is not necessary to show, may be employed. rlhe boxes for the separate shafts u of the upper corrugating-rolls, a', are adjustable in said arms c toward and from the'bearings of shaft t, and have set-screws a to set Y them, as the size of the wire and the pressure may require, and the shaftl u of each roll a gears by a toothed wheel, u, with a wheel, a5, fixed on the shaft vt. The shaft t gears by a large toothed wheel, b, on one end, with a pinion, c', on the projecting end of shaft w, on which the supporting-arms t swing, and pinion c' is turned by a pair of eccentric wheels, d', one of which is attachedvto it, and the other is attached to the hub of the driving-pulley e. The object of the eccentric wheels is to turn the corrugating-rolls swiftly for delivering the corrugated wire swiftly while the bindingwire is being twisted around it along the spaces between the pickets, and to turn said rolls slowly for delivering said wire slower while the pickets are being pushed along in the beating-up process to draw the binding-wire across the pickets. The driving-pulley e also turns a concentric pinion, f which gears with a larger wheel, g', `on a shaft, h', on which is a driving -wheel, fi', that is for revolving the twisting-heads d, and a cam, ai, that is to work the feed-pawls 7c', feed-levert, and the feeding-rolls on and a.

The wheel t" is constructed with spiral or worm flanges on its face, and gears with a crown-wheel, o', which turnsa spur-wheel, p, that gears with the intermediate wheels, q', of a train, connecting all the twisting-heads together for turning them together alike. While the beating-up process is going on, to shift along the web as each new picket is twisted in, it is desirable that thetwisters shall turn very slowly-or momentarily cease altogether to turn-for which purpose the spiral anges s of the wheel i are pitched with much less angularity to the side of said wheel than its other flanges; or said flanges s may be parallel thereto. j

The twisters each consist of a revolving tube, y, having one of the wheels of the gear-train q attached, and being fitted with a collar, t', turning in a bearing, u', near the hcad'of the twister, while the other end of said tube runs in a box, a3, of the bracket x. rlhe drivingwheel g and collar t have a wire-guide passage, t', through them; and along the tube from collar t, and extending asuitable distance beyond the end of said tube, there is another guide, lw', coincident'with guide fv, by which the binding-wire z' is conducted from a flierguide, x', that takes the wire from the reel e to the point cf twisting around the corrugated wire, which is in front of the end of the tube c, along which the said corrugated wire is conducted from the corrugating-rolls a b. This tube c, which is flattened to correspond with the form of the corrugated wire and hold the corrugations p upright by preventing the wire from twisting, so that the pickets will be properly received in the spaces between the corrugations,is located at the bottom of tube y, which is much larger than said tube c, and said tube c is held in its proper position by the bracket y and set-screw z, and the tube chas a bearing in a disk, a2, fitted in the head d of the twister, so as to be supported while the twister revolves around it. The tube c .projects through and beyond head d about the width of the pickets, and rests sufficiently lower than the projecting end of wire-guide w to allow the pickets to be fed in between said wire-guide and the top of it when the twister rests with said wire-guide w above thetube c, as represented `in Figs. 3 and 4. Over the wireguide w', and attached to it, is a guard-hook, b2, which hangs down in suitable proximity to the head d, to prevent the ends of the pickets from striking the wires when the pickets are being fed into the machine. The pickets are piled one on another in a feeding-box, c2, located on an extension-table, d2, suitably placed in the range of the line of twisters, said box having openings through the sides, enabling the lowest picket to be pushed out onto the table at the side of the line of guide-rolls F by the pawls k. The lever Z then swings forward against the outer end of the pickets and pushes them between the feed-rolls m and n/which quickly run the pickets along the series of twisters on the projecting ends of the tubes c and between the wires g and i. a little inclined guide-chute, f2, attached to the top of the projecting part of tube c, which descends a little toward the feed-table, forming inclines to carry the ends of the pickets safely upon said tubes c and prevent said tubes from being injured by the ends of the pickets. When the pickets have been thus properly fed into position between the wires, which is during the cessation or slowing of the rotation of the twisters, the beating-up arms g2 swing forward and quickly push the pickets from off the tubes c into the shed of the wires, 'and aid in shifting the fabric along the distance of the pickets from center to center,

IOO

IIO

There is also the twisters during this operation making two,

arms g2 havea guard, h2, located alittle lower than the guards f2 of the tubes c, on -which the pickets are to be carried to their lodgment in the shed of the wires, and above said guards said arms have pusher-plates Z2, to bear against the edges of the pickets. These arms g2 are pivoted on one of the lower side beams of the frame atjz, and they have a forked connecting-rod, k2, straddling the shaft h', and having toes Z2, with which a wiper-cam, m2, is arranged on shaft 71,', so as to effect much quicker movements of the arms than the ordinary cam or eccentric can by so arranging said toes and wiper-cam that the cams strike the toes when moving directly in the line of the movement of the arms, and escape from the toes as soon as the arms have been moved, after which the wipers effect the reverse movements of the arms by taking effect on the reversing-toes, thus effecting the forward movements of the arms in a small part of time of the revolution of the twisters, and while the twisters are so turned that the guards b2 allow the pickets to be shifted forward. The arms rest in the forward position until the cams m2 reach the reversing-toes, when they are as quickly returned to the first position before the next picket is fed in.

The connecting-rods Zut are adjustable upon or down along the arms g2, to alter the throw of the arms for wider or narrower pickets.

For working the feed-rolls m and n', roll n is geared by a pinion, u2, with a wheel, o2, geared by the pinion pt with the toothed segment q2, fitted on the pivot s2, and connected with the cam-groove if in the hub u2 on the shaft h by the roller-stud t, so that said segment is made to swing forward and backward to drive said feed-rollers; but, as it is only desirable to turn thel feed-rolls forward, the wheel oL is fitted loosely on its shaft 1.02, and connected thereto by a ratchet, x2, an`d pawl y2, to allow the shaft 102 to turn backward without turning the wheel 02, so that said feedrolls rest during the back motion of the segment Q2. The cam-groove t2 is suitably contrived to swing the segment back ready to begin the forward movement of the feed-rolls at the moment that the'twisters begin to rest or slack up in their movements. ment q2 is also made to work the pawls k' and the pusher Z by mea-ns of the rod x2, pivoted to it at g3, and having the arms z2 of the pawls and the lever cr" of the pusher connected to it, as shown in Figs. l and 2.

The beating-up arms g2 work between forked guides b, attached to the frame to hold said arms laterally. 'Ihe said beatingup arms deliver the fabric over a guide-roll, c3, and upon the reel 7c, mounted on the shaft d, having a pulley, e3, for turning it by a belt, f3,- or said reel maybe turned by hand. In practice the pulley c will gea-r with the reel-shaft by friction-wheels,instead of being tted directly on the shaft, on account of the irregular movement of the fabric in delivering from the machine. The reel-shaft is supported in leverbearings h, pivoted to the frame at Z3, and being held to the cap j detachably by a hasp and pin, Zr?, or other suitable device, enabling The seg` said lever-bearings, which have handleeX- tensions Z3, to be lowered readily from time to time, to discharge the rolls accumulated on the reels, said reels being fitted to the shaft d, so that it can be readily pulled out of the reels and replaced in its bearings with another reel to be filled.

The wheels il and o are geared to turn at the same rate of speed; but the wheels p and the intermediate wheel, q, of the twister-train are proportioned suitably for turning the twisters three times to one revolution of wheel t" and one feed motion, so that the bindingwire is twisted three times around the corrugated wire between the pickets; but more or less turns of the binding-wires may be had by proportioning the wheels p and q accordingly. rlhe corrugating-wheelsc and b are suitably timed to deliver the requisite meas' ure of corrugated wire for each revolution of the driving-wheel i.

I propose to make the feed-roll a of pointed metal disks separated by thin layers of leather or other suitable material, said leather disks being smaller in diameter than the metal disks to enable said pointed disks to bite the pickets sufficiently to insure positive feeding of the pickets.

Having thus fully described myinvention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. The combination, in a machine having feeding and beating-up mechanism adapted for` feeding and beating up fence-pickets, substantially as described, of corrugating-rollers and a guide adapted for delivering corrugated wire to the pickets, also wire-twisting mechanism adapted for twisting a binding-wire around the corrugated wire and for crossing said binding-wire over the pickets, substantially as herein described.

2. In a fence-machine consisting of wirecorrugating rolls, picket feeding and beatingup mechanism, and binding-wire mechanism, organized substantially as herein described, the mechanism to impart a variable speed to said corrugating-rolls to deliver the corrugated wire slowly while the binding-wire is being coiled thereon, and faster when the beating up of the pickets takes place, as set forth.

3. In a fence-machine consisting of wirecorrugating rolls, picket feeding and beatingup mechanism, and binding-wire mechanism, organized substantially as herein described, mechanism to effect periodical cessations or equivalent slow motions of the binding-wire during the feeding and beating up of the pickets, substantially as specified.

4. The combination, in a fence-machine, of a series of corrugating-rolls, a b, also a series of corrugated wire-guides, c, and also a series of binding-wiretwisting mechanisms, with picket feeding and beating-up mechanism, substantially as described.

5. In a pair of corrugating-rolls, a b, the notched roll a, having the face iiattened between the notches Z, and the roll b, having its Ioo face convex beyond the circle of the roll, be-

tween the teeth m, to set the angles s in order to make the Wire straight, substantially as described.

6. The combination of the revolving tube y, having the binding-Wire reel e, flier-guide w', and wire-guides c and w, with the corrugated rolls a b and wire-guide tube c, said guide-tube c being arranged within said revolving tube y, substantially as described.

7. The wire-guide tube c, arranged within the revolving twister-tube 1, with one end secured in the bracket y', and the other end arranged in and extending out of the disk a2, tted in the head d of said revolving tube, in

combination with the corrugating-rolls a b and the rotating binding wire carrying guides, substantially as described.

8. The revolving tube y, having a drivingwheel, q', reel e, dier-guide m, collar t, guideways for the wire fi, head d, and the disk a2, fitted in said head d, and being arranged in the bearings u and u, in combination with guide c, located in said tube, and with the corrugating-rolls a b, substantially as described.

' 9. In a fence-machine having the corrugating-rolls a b, guide-tube c, and tube y, the bracket az, for the support of the tubes g/ and c, detachably connected to the su pporting-frame, and the pivoted supports t, substantially as described. 1

10. The series of twisting devices geared,

with the spirally-langed driving-wheel z" by the gear-wheels g and p,.the latter carrying the crown-wheel o, gearing with the wheel i', and said spirally-iianged wheel having one or more flanges, s', arranged with less angularity to its side than its other anges, which flanges s may be nearly parallel to said side, to periodically slow or altogether stop the twisters while the pickets are fed in and beaten up,

` substantially as described.

12. The feed-rolls m n', pusher l', and the feed-pawls k, in combination with the Wireguide tube c, wire-twistingmechanism, and the beating-up arms g2, substantially as described.

13. The beating-up arms g2, connected with the shaft hof the driving-wheel 1? by the forked connecting-rods k2, Wiper-cams m2, and toes l",

,in combination with the wire-twisting mechanism geared with a Wheel, p', Vcarrying a crown-Wheel, o', geared to the driving-shaft by the wheel 17, having differently-pitched peripheral flanges, substantially as described.

14. The combination of guards f2 with the guides c, twisting mechanism, and the picketfeeding rolls m n, substantially as described.

15. The beating-up arms g2, having guards h2 and pushers e2, in combination with wireguides c, twisting mechanism, and the picketfeeding rolls on a', substantially as described.

16. The combination of feed-rolls m and a', geared with the driving-shaft by the loose Wheel o2, ratchet x2, pawl y?, and toothed segment q2, with the Wire-guide c, twisting mechanism, and beating-up arms, substantially as described.

17. The feeding-pawls lc', pusher Z', and the feeding-rolls m n', geared with the drivingshaft h by the vibrating segment q2 and grooved cam u2, substantially as described.

18. The guide-roll c3 and reel 7c, in combination with -the wire-guides c, Wire-twisting mechanism, and the beating-up arms g2, substantially as described.

19. The reel-shaft d", arranged in hinged lever-boxes f3, with detachable fastenings k, in combination with the wire-guides c, twisting mechanisms, and the beating-up arms g2, substantially as described.

FRANCIS M. GOMSTOGK.

Vitnesses:

vM. A. RUNNER, J. E. JEWELL. 

